


The Impossible Alliance

by Lazy Cat Corner (Gummyyummy156)



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bro-tp, Brotp, Other, non-romantic, platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-12 04:49:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12951639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gummyyummy156/pseuds/Lazy%20Cat%20Corner
Summary: While Loki is sent on an important task for his people of Asgard, he runs into Ned Leeds and has to rely on his help. The fate of his people could rest in the hands of a goofy 15-year-old.





	1. Act I: Pathetic Mortal Contraptions!

**Author's Note:**

> So here is the story! Since I want to make this a Jacob Batalon appreciation week, I will split up this story into four or five parts. Fear not! You will have a completed story by the end of the week. This is my second fanfiction I've ever written, so this isn't my area of expertise. Nevertheless, I had to get this story down. This Bro-tp is too pure and must be shared to the world.

Act 1

Some people struggle with cellphones, while Demigods battle with cellphones.

“I command you to reveal the location of The Square of Times!” Loki orders the phone with a forceful command.

_I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with that._

“Liar! I see through all your lies. If you withhold this important information, I will have all of Asgard at your throat you pathetic mortal compass!”  

_Who, me?_

After thirty minutes of yelling at the phone, Loki’s had enough and throws it across the room. He feels the blood rushing to his head as he watches the only known map in this dimension that could take him to finish his job.

The job isn’t something he is even interested in, but his brother, Thor, is out on a mission with the rest of The Avengers. If they don’t pick up this package today, Asgard would have to wait another month before they can finally relocate somewhere other than the stuffy towers of Stark Industries. According to Valkyrie, this trinket can transport an entire ship across the country. It’s not an Infinity Stone, by any means. But, it will do. And Loki is determined not to disappoint his people.

Any other time, Loki would just use his magic to take him where he needs, but even Demigods face illness. It started after he drank out of a suspicious bottle Valkyrie insisted was delicious. Soon enough, he was writhing on the floor in pain. He felt like a child again, his magic went out of control and suddenly, stopped. That was three days ago, and occasionally his magic comes and goes in spurts, but the drink Val insisted ‘was just a joke’ is still taking a toll on his body.

“How am I supposed to go pick this up when I can’t even use magic?”

“I would do it myself, but The Avengers need us.” Searching around the room, Thor rummages through a drawer and pulls out a small, shiny black stone.

“Here, use one of these phones. I’ve seen the others use it as a map.”

“This thing is a map?” He winces as he holds the contraption between his fingers.

“It does other stuff, too, but I forgot. I wasn’t listening when Stark explained. Just hold the button, release, and tell it what to do.”

* * *

 

Which is how Loki ended up screaming at the useless locator and shattering his only chance of helping his people. Perhaps he will disappoint them after all.

After releasing a final huff of fury, Loki realizes there was a presence the whole time. He turns around to see a boy, speechless and wearing the most absurd expression on his face. Oddly, Loki doesn’t sense fear on the boy. He must be foolish to not be afraid when he sees The God of Mischief for the first time. Most humans are smart enough to run before Loki has the chance to even notice their presence.

 

“This…Place…is….AMAZING!” The boy stretches his arms in the air and does an odd dance around the room.

“I walk in to see an Avenger smashing a phone into bits like it was nothing. Wow, I am so lucky to be here!”

Without a second beat, Loki stalks past the strange and happy boy. There’s something about his presence that reminds him too much of his older brother. How can one person be unbothered and unfazed by everything? His glares alone would send people to a healer. If he had his magic back, he wouldn’t even be in this uncomfortable situation.

 

Before he knew it, the boy started following him and speaking abnormally fast.

 “Oh, sorry. I’m Ned. Ned Leeds! I’m friends with Spider-Man and I was supposed to meet him here, but the receptionist said he won’t be back until tonight. I just want to say I think The Avengers are amazing and you’re doing a great job!”

“I’m not an Avenger. Go away before I have you-

“Are you an agent?” Ned looks around quickly and lowers his voice, “From S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

“No.”

“Is your identity a secret?”

Finally processing that this strange kid hasn’t the slightest clue who he is, Loki gives a final huff of defeat and turns to the awestruck boy.

“I am Loki, of Asgard!”

“Whoa, did you say Asgard? Do you know Thor?”

“No!”

The Demigod darts away and quickens his pace before he gives in to the impulse of killing this kid on the spot. Loki’s not the one to make deals (unless it’s his idea), but he had to swear to Thor he wouldn’t harm a single human on this planet. The _old_ Loki would break that promise before he even made it. But _this_ Loki wants to make a point that he can lead Asgard and be trusted as a King.

True, Thor is the current King, but who knows how long that will last. And believe it or not, slaughtering masses gets boring rather quick. You start losing people to kneel before you. Then comes the uprisings, revolutions, and overthrowing. Dictatorships don’t last forever in this day and age. And Loki can’t afford another war between The Avengers if they find out he killed [what he assumes is] their favorite pet. 

“I know where Times Square is!” The boy shouts at the other end of the hall.

Loki stops dead in his tracks and turns around.

“I overheard you talk about ‘The Square of Times’ and at first it didn’t make sense until I figured you meant ‘Times Square’. You see, that’s why the phone didn’t work. If you aren’t clear, then it can’t give you an answer. It gets annoying, really.” He laughs nervously.

After a moment of silence, Ned continues, “I could take you there. Oh, I could be your guide!” He offers.

This kid has the nerve to make the most demeaning offer a human could make to a Demigod. Loki could not imagine relying on a weak human, like this boy. It would be more than embarrassing. His people of Asgard would never have any respect for him.

“No.”

“But, it’s obvious you don’t know anything about New York. Let me show you the city.”

Ned continues rambling on about the congested and smelly city when Loki loses his patience and uses a spurt of magic to shatter a window across the hall. Before Ned has a chance to process what happens, Loki sprints off and loses him for good.

“Whoa! That was so cool.” Ned whispers to himself in admiration.

 

* * *

 

**Several hours [and several miles later]**

 

“Midtown. I must be getting close. If I am in the middle of the town, and I find a high point, I might be able to find the square…” Loki mumbles to himself.

He’s aware that he screwed up, bad. At this point, the only thing he can rely on, besides his pride, is his intuition. Which isn’t too helpful when you use up the last of your magic to scare off a tiny human and are left with the abilities of a sewer rat. Loki looks up at the sky and senses he’s lost a lot of time. The sun has already peaked, that means he has less than six hours to retrieve the package.

Loki growls in frustration. He picks a direction and continues his journey. Should he ask for directions? Perhaps, but that would mean he would have to swallow his pride. One thing he is not willing to lose just yet.

Loki hears a familiar voice grab his attention.

“Looks like you’re lost.”

He turns to the voice to find that same boy, Ned, again. Is this a test from the higher powers? Is this a test from Thor?

“How do you end up everywhere?”

“I live here.” He responds matter of fact.

Ned repeats, “You’re lost.”

“No.” Loki snarls between his teeth.

Ned flashes a smug smile, and leans against a building.

“Right, you just wanted to take the scenic route,” Ned points to his right, “Away from Times Square.”   

Loki nods his head, relieved that the foolish kid finally revealed the direction he needs to go.

“Exactly.”

Loki picks up his pace and heads in the direction Ned pointed.

“Which, if you weren’t lost, you would know that’s not the way to Times Square…”

Ned crosses his arms, wearing the biggest grin of triumph anyone could make.

This illness is definitely making Loki lose his touch. Never, has a human manage to fool him so effortlessly. It took that red-haired acrobat hours before she could come up with a half decent plan.

Perhaps this was some sort of test. If this boy has the talent to show himself twice to Loki without summoning him, and the nerve to not only trick The God of Mischief, but show no fear, then there must be an incentive involved.

Loki gives a final breath of defeat.

“Show me the way, and that’s it!”  

End Of Act 1


	2. Act II Part 1: Rats, Wolves, Spies and Old Ladies.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two unlikely heroes head out and begin their journey. It seems this little errand is turning into a bigger chore than Loki expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 2 and day three of my Ned Leeds appreciation week! First of all, I want to thank everyone for reading this story! Special shout out to all the people who gave me Kudos, and subscribed you all are rockstars! You have no idea how grateful I feel knowing that there are readers here who enjoy this story. ^_^  
> Let's jump right in...

ACT 2 Part 1 **  
**

For a boy who seems half Loki’s height (and even less of a fraction of his age), he seems to have the energy to move his mouth a lot. Loki lost interest fifteen minutes ago and put himself on autopilot as he follows the awkward boy to (what he calls) a “bus stop”.

“It’s like a ship, but on the ground,” He continues his endless tangent, “You wait in front of the sign and the bus will stop for you. Then there’s a train. It’s faster and New York has so many of them…

Which is how Ned started rambling about his love for this pest-infested city. Loki amazes himself that he has the patience to tolerate this kid. He doesn’t sense him as a threat, but for some reason he doesn’t feel hostility. Sort of like his brother, he supposes. But much weaker and, somehow, louder.

“So what’s your story?” Ned snaps Loki out of his trance.

“What?”

“You said you don’t know Thor, but it sounded like you did. Was he a bad friend?”

“No.” Loki considers if he should tell him his life story. The least he could do is establish his reputation. A child with such a big mouth could have the nerve to start spreading ugly rumors about “Thor’s new and weird companion”.

He continues, “He’s my brother.”

Ned’s long and audible gasp is interrupted.

“But I’m not related. He’s my adopted brother and the worst one at that. He get’s all the attention for doing none of the work. He’s always putting me in a shadow and never respecting me as an equal.” He snarls.    

Ned sighs, “Yeah, I get that.”

Loki faces Ned, “Nonsense, you couldn’t possibl-

“-No I do,” he interrupts, “Pe-I mean, Spider-Man is my friend, but sometimes I feel like I’m just his assistant. Maybe he doesn’t mean to, but he treats me like I’m not worthy. Like I won’t belong in this secret club of The Avengers.” Ned frowns.  

Ned and Loki finally approach the bus stop and Loki considers everything Ned just told him. Oddly, Loki feels a bit of empathy for him. Everything Ned told him, sounds almost exactly like what he’s been through. Loki would never say it out loud, but Thor is family. He doesn’t completely blame his brother for everything, it’s just easier to resort to blame. Especially when you feel like you will never truly belong in the family you were adopted into. Perhaps Loki was wrong. Maybe Ned was a bit more like him than he was like his brother.

Loki senses a wave of fear overtake Ned. He follows the boys line of sight to see what could be scaring him. Not the Demigod, clearly. Loki spots a crowd of boys, no older than Ned stalking towards the two.

“Hey Ned, where’s that loser, Penis?”

Ned sighs and turns away from the crowd of unruly boys. Loki is surprised that this boy has so much nerve, and yet so little when these pathetic animals approach him. Loki eyes the leader up and down. He reminded him of a kid in Asgard that used to push him around. That bully was twice Loki’s size and three times his muscle mass. This one, however, was significantly smaller, and weaker than Ned. The arrogant boy struts towards them, ready to challenge Loki. Before the boy has the chance to open his mouth, a low growl escapes Loki.

Sure enough, the kid’s expressions changed to fear and the pack of wolves cower with their tails between their legs; leaving both Ned and Loki alone on the street. Loki was right after all, he hasn’t lost his touch.   

* * *

Loki and Ned step off the crowded bus. That was the last time he would confine himself in such a small space around so many loud humans. He had to grit his teeth and remind himself that he can’t attract any attention. One massacre, and he would wind up locked in a glass cage, again.

Loki looks up to find himself surrounded by a series of distracting lights and signs all twinkling various messages and advertisements. Loki scans the area to find the person he is meant to meet. At last, he can get the package, be the hero and shake this annoying kid off him once and for all.

“So, now what?” Ned asks.

“Now.” Loki pauses and spots a small and frail woman huddled against a building. “Now, I finally get the recognition I deserve and be the hero of Asgard.” He finishes.

Quickly, they approach the old woman. Keeping his head and posture up, Loki recites the passphrase. “I’m looking for Valhalla.” Another one of Valkyrie’s pointless jokes. She got to pick the passphrase.

The small woman frowned and shook her head.

“I’m sorry, your grace, but I don’t have it, anymore.”

“WHAT?” Loki can feel the anger bubbling inside him. All of that work, for nothing. He couldn’t take it. He was sure that his brother and Val decided to play another twisted joke on him.

The woman calmly continues as if the biggest threat to Times Square isn’t currently standing in front of her.

“We had to relocate it to JFK Terminal 1. Mr. Stark overheard of a threat looking for the same package, too. He didn’t want to take any chances so he moved it. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

After a few calming breaths, Loki tries to return to his normal temper.

“Where is JFK terminal 1?” He asks the small thing.

She points in front of her. “That way, but you will have to take a bus and a train. You won’t make it on time on foot.”

Chewing on his lip, Loki shuts his eyes.

“Another bus?”

She bows her head low to the ground, her nose almost touching her crossed legs, “I’m truly sorry, your grace.” The woman apologizes. Before Loki could argue, she dematerializes.

Realizing Loki lost his pride at Midtown, he turns to Ned.

“Let me guess,” he lifts an eyebrow, “You know where it is?”

Ned smiles and rapidly nods his head.

* * *

 

The bus back was, thankfully, quieter. Loki feels even more frustrated when he realizes he is heading back towards Midtown. If this package ends up being a trick, Loki will be sure to put Midgard as his first target of revenge. Promise be damned!

Ned attempts to make small talk for the first half of the ride, but decides to give the Demigod some space. Even Ned could sense that he had too much on his mind. The bus finally reaches their stop and they head off towards the train ride to JFK.

“Oh no!” Ned shouts.

“What?” Loki follows Ned’s line of sight to the blinking screen with the words “DELAYED” in bold letters.

“The train’s delayed for another thirty minutes.” He turns towards the direction of the airport. “We could walk, but that would take an hour and it would be quicker to just wait.”

At this point, Loki is no longer surprised that another roadblock came up. He’s accepted that he is being tested or being tricked. Either way, he will win.

“Then we’ll wait.” He calmly responds. Loki finds a bench and rests on it, staring at the almost setting sun and accepting everything that is handed to him. 

“Really?”

When Ned figures he isn’t going to get a response he continues.

“Okay, well I’m going to get a snack while we wait. Do you want something? Do Asgard people even eat?”

Feeling a bit famished, Loki accepts the boy’s offer.

“Don’t get anything I don’t like.” He warns.

“Umm, okay. Vague, but okay. I’m sure I can find something.” Ned sets off on his own small journey, ready to accept the challenge.  

 [To Be Continued...]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I should end it on a (sort-of) funny note. Seems our Demigod is warming up to our loveable Ned. Be sure to stay tuned to find out what happens tomorrow in Part 2 (one of my favorite parts of the story).


	3. Act II Part 2: The Child Interrogates Me!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Food always brings people together! Loki and Ned share a meal and contemplate their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is one of my faves! You'll see why. Their interaction gets pretty serious, but also, lighthearted.

Act 2 Part 2

The silence quickly overcame Loki and he could feel the rush of relief. He didn’t think it was possible for one small child to talk so much. Are they all like that? Loki doesn’t personally know many Midgardians. He wonders if they’re always loud or maybe their hearing isn’t as good as an Asgardian. Still, he wonders why he doesn’t feel the same sense of hostility that he once did. It wasn’t long ago where he was ready to take over this planet and have every last one of them worship his feet. He used to look down on them, and see them as nothing more than ants and useless pawns to grant his wishes.

Now, he wouldn’t say they’re an equal, per-se, but there’s a possibility that some of them can be tolerable. They’re sheltering his people after all, and that’s more than he would have done for them if they landed on Asgard. So, perhaps they deserve some respect as a return of debt.

Anyway, Loki was never really cut out for the “takeover” business. He thought that what he wanted was control. To finally have the power he’s craved, but when he had it, he realized it wasn’t really what he wanted. He didn’t understand himself or why he thought about backing out. It wasn’t until he looked at his sister, Hela, and realized why he couldn’t put his whole mind and heart into it.

It had nothing to do with who is the stronger sibling. Even Loki knew that with enough time and dedication, he could have had things go his way. It’s because of fear. He saw the fear Hela brought to the Asgardians. Everyone fled from her and put their lives in danger to stay away. In the end, all he wanted was respect. He wanted Asgard to look at him the way they look at his brother.

After weighing out his choices on the (longest) ride to Midgard, Loki decided to take a step back, and try something different. Maybe he should try earning respect instead of forcing it. It didn’t seem to end well for his sister, after all.

But nobody told him that earning respect would be so hard. There are so many rules and all of them seem to contradict another. You can’t hurt anyone, unless they deserve it. But who would deserve it? Consider other people’s feelings, unless what you need to say is important. And how is he supposed to predict that? It’s not as if Midgardians are psychic, either. Everything about it is confusing. Though it might be best if Loki does it, Loki’s way. Whatever that might be.

Loki is snapped out of his trance when he senses the boy approach him. Yet again, another nonsense smile is stretched across his face. It’s as if he forgot everything they just went through.

Loki raises an eyebrow and Ned answers his unspoken question.

“If you don’t like this food, then you’re out of your mind!” He offers with a tone of confidence.

“You don’t know the half of it.” He mutters under his breath.

Ned pretends to not hear his response and hands him something tightly wrapped in paper.

“What is this?” He asks.

“A hamburger.”

“A hamburger.” He repeats slowly, making sure he heard clearly.

“It’s good.” He reassures the skeptical Demigod.

Slowly, Loki opens the wrapping and takes a bite. It’s nowhere near Asgard food, but Loki wouldn’t tell Ned what he’s been really eating lately on the ship to Midgard. Short answer, it’s better than what he’s been forced to eat. Since the trip to Midgard, his standards of food have been lowered significantly.  

“It’ll do.” He quietly approves.

Ned flashes a smile of triumph as he bites into his burger.

Ned decides to break the uncomfortable silence and continue reciting his endless list of queries.

“What is Valhalla?”

“Huh?” Loki asks mid-bite.

“You told that lady, ‘I’m looking for Valhalla’. What is it? Is it like a Holy Grail?”

“Holy-“ Loki begins to ask, but then reconsiders it’s nothing important to him, “No, Valhalla is a place where I’m from. It’s where the Valkyrie live.”

Ned turns to Loki, with an expression on his face asking him to elaborate.

Loki takes a big sigh as he lowers his half-eaten meal.

“Umm, Valkyrie are like soldiers. They’re all women and the strongest line of defense Asgard had. But a war wiped all of them out.” Loki chuckles, “Except one.”

“One? Who is she?” Ned asks.

“Valkyrie.”

“Valkyrie? Her name is Valkyrie…and she’s a Valkyrie.”

“Well, her name is Brunnhilde, but we all call her Valkyrie.”

Ned nods his head and studies the burger in his hand.

“She must be really strong if she survived that war.”

“She is.” Loki sighs.

Before Loki could correct himself, Ned is, unsurprisingly, ready to ambush Loki with more questions.

“She is?” Ned stretches out the last word and wiggles his eyebrows.

“She has to be. Nobody could survive my sister that easily.” Loki responds flatly without showing a hint of embarrassment. Determined not to imply there is anything more.

It didn’t appear Ned was ready to give up, however. He continues with his persistent interrogation.

“Sounds like you have a crush!”

Loki knits his brows in confusion. Midgard language is so similar, but so strange.

“I wouldn’t say she crushed me. She pinned me down and threatened me. I was more impressed than crushed.” He answers.

Ned lets out a quiet laugh and explains, “No, a crush is…It means you like her. Like you want to date her.”

Loki winces at the thought of having any romantic feelings for that unruly girl.

“That’s absurd. I could never date her. She’s too much a Valkyrie.”

“What’s wrong with that? You shouldn’t turn down a girl because she’s different.”

“I don't mean it like that.” Loki shakes his head, “I mean, she’s wild, cold and tough. She’s always challenging me and finds a reason to toss me across a room. She has to win all the time and when she does, she has this arrogant smile across her face. Like she conquered a planet and holds power over you.” Loki scoffs, “And her victory laugh.”

“Victory laugh?” Ned sets his burger down, and pays close attention to the ranting Demigod.

“It’s nerve wracking. Like my heart is crushing deeper in my chest.”

Holding back a smile, Ned responds without any indication of what he’s thinking, “Like your heart is skipping a beat?”

“No, like my heart was so surprised it stopped for a second.”

“Right. So, a crush.”

“I have no romantic feelings for her, if that’s what you’re implying.” Loki faces away from Ned to emphasize he is done with the conversation.

After a moment of silence, The God of Mischief decides to turn the tables around for once.

“What about you? Who is crushing your chest?”

“No one.” Ned laughs.

“I don’t believe it.” Loki responds.

Feeling that it’s only fair Ned answers Loki’s question, he continues, “There might be someone at school, but,” Ned falls silent.

“Continue.”

“I don’t think they’re interested. People see me as the goofy kid at Midtown. I’ll always be a shadow to my friend, Peter. Peter’s the guy everyone talks about at school. That’s why Flash messes with me the most, now. Nobody really cares to defend the goofy kid at Midtown.” Ned frowns and drops his shoulders, “Except for Peter.” He amends.

“Who’s Flash?” Loki asks.

Ned lets out a sigh and confesses, “You know those guys you saw earlier messing with me?”

Loki snorts.

“Them? They’re insignificant. I could smell their fear from far away. They’re not worth your time. If those pests bother you so much, you should just kill them and be done with it.”

Ned almost drops his burger.

“What? No! I’m not going to kill anyone. Sure, someone should teach them a lesson, but I don’t want them dead.” He shifts on the bench uncomfortably.  

“At least scare them.” Loki shrugs and continues with his burger.

“I wouldn’t even know how to do that, I’m not scary.”

Loki smiles to himself. He would never admit it, but this boy is scarier than he knows. Just in a completely different way. Or perhaps it’s the lack of fear that gives Loki the impression that the kid could be something to worry about.

Loki opens his mouth, ready to tease the boy and suggest a way Ned could get away with murder, but abruptly stops himself when their train finally arrives.

End of Act 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHA! I loved writing this because it was my little nod to Valki. Anyhow, next chapter will be up tomorrow and THEN things are going to get pretty serious. I'm so excited! We're so close to reaching the end. Thank you for sticking with me for it! <3


	4. Act III: Snake Versus Snake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki wonders how his life led up to this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! It is day 5 and chapter 4 of our Ned Leeds appreciation week. This one is a lot longer than the other three. I wanted to split it up, but there is no good place where I could cut it off. I think all of these scenes belong together, and you'll see why.

Act 3

Loki watches the scenery pass by him as the train speeds towards JFK. It’s only a matter of minutes before he has the package that will lead him and the rest of Asgard to a new place to settle. He begins to wonder where Asgard will go from there. He hasn’t considered that, and he’s certain Thor hasn’t even given it a single thought. There’s a chance Asgard will have to start from scratch. Everything they had was destroyed and the only thing left is what they could carry. Loki is certain that Midgard has some magic books and scrolls Asgard could use to speed up their new settlement, however, it might take some hard work on his end to find them.

Loki turns to Ned’s direction when he hears a hum of content coming from him. Ned quietly sits in the train, happily finishing his food. It occurs to Loki that Ned didn’t have to remain on this train with him. Once he gets off, the package shouldn’t be too far. He can’t explain why it doesn’t bother him. Perhaps he has gotten too comfortable with his company. He considers that it’s not important, anyhow. He will be gone soon, and will never have to worry about small humans following his coat-tail everywhere he walks.

Now, something is bothering him when that thought reaches his mind. He wonders when did he get soft? He would have never let himself get into such a bizarre situation. Before everything, there was nobody for him to think about except for himself. Now, here he is, sitting on a train next to the strangest human he will ever encounter.

The train stops with a violent jerk, almost throwing Loki off the seat. He’s never been on a train before, but he can tell something’s wrong. Loki scans the cart and sees the other passengers picking themselves up from that abrupt stop.

Loki can feel the air getting thicker. Something is definitely wrong.  The magic in Loki’s hands are crackling, begging to be released and escape from whatever danger is approaching. Loki curses to himself when he realizes his magic is still blocked.

The air is quickly filled with fear. The panic escaping from all the humans is melted together. Loki can’t identify whose fear is where.

“What was that?” Ned rubs the side of his head that got knocked against the steel wall.

“Something’s wrong.” Loki mutters.

A loud and piercing screech rumbles in the train cart followed by a short, but startling scream coming from the conductor’s compartment. All the passengers nearby scramble away from the noise and retreat to the back. Loki straightens up and moves closer. His faithful blades slide out of his coat sleeves, ready to face whatever comes through the conductor’s door. In a matter of seconds, the door swings open to reveal a large and burly figure.

Most humans would assume this figure is like them, but Loki can sense he is not from Midgard. The figure is a man dressed in workers clothing and fresh blood coating his hands is dripping down from his fingertips.The God of Mischief can smell the glamour magic leaking from the figure. It’s a rather messy job of magic. As if the figure only recently learned how to use it.

The glamour magic on the figure spurts and quickly melts away. His eyes transform into small serpent-like slits, and the skin turns scaly and dark. The figure’s teeth sharpen into two fine pointed fangs and a faint rattling noise rumbles in the figure’s chest.

“Loki!” The figure hisses.   

“And who are you?” Loki asks without any real interest in the figure’s name.

“A friend of Hela.” He answers. “I am Ormr!” Ormr points at the Demigod, “And _you_ have what I want.”

“Which is?” Loki asks.

“The pendant that can amplify magic!” Ormr answers. He continues, “Just enough magic to find my Queen and bring her back to finish the job.”

Loki sighs to himself in relief. It’s obvious the beast has no clue the pendant was relocated. He mentally thanks Tony Stark for relying on his intuition. Nevertheless, Loki deducts that this creature is dumb enough to buy his bluffs. Perhaps he can slay him before the dimwit has any clue he doesn’t have the pendant.

“I suppose, I have to hand it over to you because you asked nicely?” Loki asks as he lazily stalks towards Ormr.

“Hand it over to me, and I will only kill some of them.” Ormr says.

Loki laughs, “Your threats are pathetic. It’s clear Hela knew nothing about me if she assumes I would care for Midgardians.” Loki winces at his minor bluff. He darts his eyes to Ned’s reflection by a window. Ned is standing in front of the cowering passengers and bravely doing his best to be a barrier between the beast. Loki can feel the boy trembling with a mix of awe and fear.

“Very well,” The beast snarls and charges towards Loki.

Loki feints and steps behind the large figure. Ormr sharply turns around and swipes his long claw at the Demigod. Loki dodges his attack. The fighting between the two is quick and swift. Like, watching two serpents fighting for territory.   

Loki has learned enough about the serpent-beast in the past few seconds. He is larger, but slow. Most of his fighting will depend on his upper body. He deducts that his lower half would be a weak point.

Loki takes a few steps back and ducks below Ormr. He pulls out a blade and swipes at the monster’s feet. The blade makes contact and scratches Ormr.

Ormr yelps and reaches out with his foot, ready to kick Loki in the jaw. At the right moment, Loki charges at the beast and pushes into his upper body, knocking him down. Loki pins Ormr’s down and holds out his right blade, ready for the final stab when the beast pulls out a weapon and strikes the Demigod. Loki feels the magic charge through him and temporarily paralyze him. The beast picks up Loki and throws him out the window and on to the train tracks.     

Ormr steps out of the train and moves closer towards his challenger. Loki scrambles up and drops back down, the fatigue overtaking him.

The beast holds up a shiny block. “This, temporarily drains it’s opponent.” He explains, “Lucky for you, most of your magic is blocked. Now, all I need is the final blow.”

Loki stumbles back, “How did you-

“-That Valkyrie of yours can’t say no to a free drink! Especially when I suggested it can knock down the largest of men.” Ormr smiles. “Either that woman can’t stand you or she has an odd sense of humor.” A rattling noise vibrates in his chest as he chuckles.

Loki groans at the knowledge that Valkyrie’s sense of humor is indeed, darker than his. He makes a mental note to give that warrior a taste of her own liquor when he gets back.

Loki picks up his blades and uses the last bit of his strength to fight. If he can knock the beast down the rails, that would be a little over a one-hundred-foot drop. Which will either kill Ormr or give Loki enough time to finish him off.   

The beast lunges towards the weakened Demigod and blocks his attacks. Ormr disarms off both of Loki’s blades and pushes him off the train tracks. Loki falls hard on the roof of a building nearby. His head is pounding at the impact and tries to get back up. The dizziness overcomes him and Loki falls back down on the shingles.

Ormr gives a throaty laugh and pockets one of Loki’s blades.

“These nice daggers will make a fine souvenir!” He picks up the other blade and waves it in front of Loki with a mocking sound in his voice, “And this, will be a more fun way to kill you than my rusty knife. Death by his own blade. An overdone, but classic way to kill royalty.”

Loki lets out a weak and inaudible threat.

“Even when the biggest pain in Asgard is at his lowest, he doesn’t know when to give up.” The beast strides towards the nearly unconscious God of Mischief.

The ground under Ormr begins to rumble and he pauses in confusion. The beast looks around for the source of the vibration and spots the train charging towards him. Before Ormr has time to jump off, the train slams into the monster and stops immediately.

Loki gingerly sits himself up and watches Ormr roll off the front of the train and plop back on the tracks. He faces his attention to the front of the train to find the one responsible. Ned’s head pops out of the conductor’s window and waves at the Demigod enthusiastically.

Loki softly smiles, “Well done, Ned.” He mutters to himself.

“What? I can’t hear you!” Ned shouts.

Loki picks himself back up and climbs back on the tracks. He can feel every aching muscle in him screaming to stay still, but he grits his teeth and ignores the pain. He is too far to turn back. He lifts the dead serpent-beast off the tracks and shifts him between the railing. After searching through his pockets, he retrieves his daggers and pockets the object responsible for his power drain. Finding nothing else useful, Loki jumps back on board through the hole he made in the window.

“Did I do good?” Ned huffs in excitement. “That was the coolest thing!” Ned starts miming everything that happened. “You were swooping in so quickly and sliced him with the knife and he came charging through. Before I knew it, I was moving the train and crashing into him. It all happened so fast but so slow.” Ned laughs and puts his hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath. “My life is so awesome!”

Loki holds back the urge to laugh.

“Yes, well, you did fine.” He admits. “I suppose, I am in your debt now.”

Ned shakes his head, “Nah, the pride of a job well done is all I need.” He shrugs.

Loki faces towards the control panel of the train. “How do you operate this machine?”

Ned’s eyes light up. “Oh, I’m not too sure. I started messing around with it but I’m pretty sure I can get us there if we go slow. Or we can walk from here.”

Loki winces at the thought of moving his body more than he needs. He didn’t want Ned to know how weakened he really is and bluffs. “We won’t have enough time. Try to get this train as close as you can.”

Ned salutes. “Aye aye, captain!”

The rest of the trip was closer than Loki assumed. When they approached their platform, Loki and Ned slip out before the grateful passengers have time to thank their heroes. Loki picks up his pace through the train station and weaves between the confused crowd. Ned follows behind, struggling for breath to keep up.

The pair finds the sign above them that reads “Terminal 1”. Loki scans the area and opens up as much of his dulled senses as he could to find what they’re looking for. A strong pulse of magic beats towards the right of him. Loki carefully approaches the wave of magic. This time, Loki finds a man in a suit wearing sunglasses indoors. He rolls his eyes at the stranger’s failed attempt at blending in. The man spots Loki and he straightens his posture.  

“I’m looking for Valhalla.” He says.

The man nods his head, “You have found it!” He answers.

The man pulls out a small velvet bag from his jacket and hands it to Loki. The minute Loki touches it, he can feel the magic from the pendant charging him. He wouldn’t say he’s one-hundred percent better, but he can feel his worn-out body mending itself at a faster rate. He’s still going to need several days’ worth of sleep when he gets back to Stark Industries.  

The man in sunglasses bows his head, “Good day, Your Highness.” He disappears and Loki turns back on his way to Stark Industries. Ned follows him behind.

“Is that it? Oh, wow! Hey, do you know how to get back? I can show you.”

“You’ve done enough. I can find my way back now that I have this.” Loki pockets the pendant.

They walk out of the airport and Loki turns to Ned, ready to give him the final shoo away when a swarm of armed people circle them.

A man armed head to toe steps out of the circle and shouts, “FREEZE! AIRPORT POLICE PUT YOUR HANDS UP!”

Shaking, Ned obeys.

“I will do no such thing.” Loki protests.

“We saw you come out of that train. It’s been reported that someone killed the conductor and tried to attack the passengers.”

Loki huffs a big sigh, realizing that these people have no clue what they’re talking about. They must have gotten a report from one of the train passengers.

He opens his mouth but is interrupted by Ned, “Do you have any clue who we are?”

Loki is surprised by the sudden confidence coming from the boy.

“Put your hands up or we will shoot.” The officer threatens.

“We are agents assigned by Stark Industries, you have no authority to point your weapons at us.” Ned keeps his head up high and faces the officer without showing a single hint of fear.

Loki decides to step in before the boy puts them in more danger than they need. “I order you all to lower your weapons or you will have Asgard to deal with.” Loki commands with the calm and authoritative tone of a King that once was.

The guard points his weapon at Loki. “Sir, put your hands up and we will settle this calmly.”

It’s clear that this conversation is going nowhere. Human authorities can be very stubborn. Loki can feel some magic charging back inside him. He takes a deep breath channeling it. He only has one last shot, and he won’t mess it up. With an exhale, Loki releases his magic and transports him and Ned back to Avengers Tower.

Startled, Ned stumbles and searches the room.

“Whoa! I didn’t know you could do that. Why didn’t we just do that sooner?”

Loki can feel the exhaustion return and he finds a chair to sit on. He grits his teeth as he feels the magic draining.

“Are you okay?” Ned slowly approaches.

Loki puts his head down and lifts his hand up, signaling him not to come closer.

“Leave me.” He quietly commands.

For once, Ned could sense the seriousness in the Demigod’s tone and obediently retreats out.

“Peter’s not gonna believe this.” Ned mutters to himself as he exits building.

End of Act 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter, but not the end! I got an epilogue tomorrow.


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone really going to believe Ned? This is Loki, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 and chapter 5 of Ned appreciation week. The final chapter guys! You ready? I am!

Epilogue

“I don’t believe it.” Peter sighs.

It's a Monday morning, and Ned and peter are dragging their feet to Ned’s locker.

“Believe it!” Ned responds as he opens his locker door.

“You went where with Loki? Loki, as in The God of Mischief.” Peter holds his books tighter, ready to hear every last detail of this story.

“We went everywhere!”

He picks up his books and continues, “I saved Asgard! Me, goof-ball Ned Leeds. I actually helped a Demigod and saved his life.” Ned smiles.

“Yeah, but Loki is the baddest bad guy in Asgard. There’s no way you could even get a hundred feet near him.” Peter leans in closer to Ned and lowers his voice, “I only saw him once and he practically stabbed me with his eyes. Also, I know he can smell fear because he laughed at me after eyeing me up and down.”

Ned leans against the locker door. “Well, I wasn’t afraid, and he needed my expertise. Who knows what would have happened to his people if I didn’t go with him.”

Peter laughs. “I don’t believe it. Ned, only you could persuade the baddest Demigod in Asgard to go with him on a trip.”

Ned and Peter head down the halls on their way to their first class. “What can I say, I’m a miracle worker!” Ned frowns, “I wanted to thank him, but Mr. Stark said, him and the rest of Asgard left early morning to find a settlement.”

“Do you know where?”

Ned shakes his head, “It’s classified.”

Ned and Peter are shoved aside as Flash Thompson comes jogging through the halls.

“Sup, Penis?” Flash shouts on his way towards his locker door.

Peter clenches his jaw and follows Flash, ready to give him a piece of his mind, once and for all. Ned steps in and stops Peter.

“Don’t, it’s not worth it. I’m having a good day. I don’t want Flash to ruin it.” Ned pleads.

Peter is ready to protest to his friend when, a startling scream, echoes in the school. Flash comes barreling back down the halls.

“SNAKE! THERE’S A SNAKE IN THE SCHOOL!”

One of Flash’s friends stops him and calms him down.

“What are you talking about?” They ask.

Flash is making a choking noise while trying to force out the words. “A-A snake popped out of my locker door. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It had these long fangs with venom dripping down. It lunged at me and it was ready to bite me. I nearly got bit! I could have died!”

Peter and Ned rush towards Flash’s locker. They search around but find no sign of anything. Some of the students nearby swore they didn’t see what Flash described. Ned takes a closer look around and finds a piece of parchment posted on Flash’s locker door with an extravagant style of calligraphy.

Peter picks up the note and reads aloud.  

_Be careful with who you laugh at. The God of Mischief will always have the last laugh!_

Ned and Peter both exchange a look of disbelief. Flash’s face goes pale and he points over Ned’s shoulder. Giving one final scream, he runs down the halls and out of their sight.

Ned quickly turns around to find nothing behind him. The only thing he could sense was a tall, cold presence fading away.

Ned feels something shift under his hand, he pulls it up to find a similar piece of parchment.

_I owe you nothing. My debts are cleared!_

Peter reads the note over Ned’s shoulder. “Whoa Ned, what could you have done to deserve that?” Peter asks in awe.

Ned and Peter have concluded that Ned made an impossible alliance, possible.

* * *

 [ **Somewhere Classified…]**

“I was just returning a debt. Don’t overthink it.” Loki pops a few pain killers in his mouth and settles himself on the couch. He is recovering, but the mix of the poisoned liquor and the mysterious energy block made his healing time significantly slower. Heimdall promised he would find an antidote to speed up the process for Loki. Until then, human remedies will have to do. 

Thor pours himself a frosty mug of ale and gives a loud laugh that pounds into Loki’s migraine. “I think you’re becoming rather fond of humans.”

Valkyrie nods her head and swirls her glass of bourbon. “They seem somewhat decent, I don’t see why you’re so stubborn with them.”

Loki growls a warning to Valkyrie. “None of this would have happened if-

“I said I’m sorry! I didn’t know.” She holds her hands up in defense. “Anyway, at least we found what’s been tailing our ship the whole time.” Valkyrie shrugs.

“ _I found it_.” Loki corrects her.

Loki stretches himself across the couch and shuts his eyes tightly. There is something definitely abnormal about that child.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it! I am so happy to share this story with you guys. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. A special thanks to everyone who decided to stick around and see what happens next. Whether that means you subscribed or saved the page in a tab, thank you! It warms my heart knowing that at least 200+ people in the world want to hear what I have to say. That's 200 more than I normally share with. Please, feel free to follow me on my [Tumblr!](http://lazy-catcorner.tumblr.com/) I normally hang out there.


End file.
